Tempting Fate
by Malady Pond
Summary: "What is it about her that holds you so enthralled?" The question lingered in his ear. / What happens when Cole meets a woman who makes him rethink his plans to get Phoebe back? Story begins during Sam I Am. Rated M for adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

_This fic is by Calixa Cochrane, but, since I'm collaborating with her on another story, I'm posting this one for her with her permission. Peace and love. Malady Pond._

_Okay, so I had this thought about - actually, I can't tell you that part because it would be a spoiler for future chapters. It has to do with the Avatars and another possibility of where they came from. It's going to be a twisty-turny thing, this story. And, yes, there will be some smut (starting with this chapter), but it's not going to be terribly explicit or even all that often._  
><em>This story starts during the episode, <em>Sam, I Am_, and Cole is pondering a question that was posed to him by a seemingly unremarkable woman._

"What is it about her that holds you so enthralled?" she had asked him with her soft English accent.

The question lingered in his ear. It had been days since their encounter at that dive bar, and she could barely have been called a beautiful woman, but he found he couldn't forget her.

Phoebe Halliwell had been the woman he loved beyond reason, and she no longer wanted anything to do with him. His love for her was slowly driving him insane.

Or maybe it was all the demonic powers coursing through him.

It would be easy enough to create an illusory world where he was still married to her, but he knew he'd still be able to see through the charade. He wanted more. He wanted that sweet little witch to love him again.

Cole Turner did not lose.

Was that it? He couldn't admit failure?

Perhaps there was another way to win.

He crossed over to the wet bar and poured a drink. "Hello, Cerise," he greeted without turning.

She shimmered onto the sofa a moment later, a smile on her cherry-red lips. "Hello, Cole. Have you thought about what I said?"

He handed her the whisky he had poured. "Of course. It was a good question." He sat beside her and made himself comfortable. "There was a part of me - a rather large part - that wanted to believe I was really still in love with her. Over the past few weeks, though, I've come to a painful realisation."

She arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow as if to ask what it was.

"I was clinging to an idealised image of what we once had. We were good together, Phoebe and I, but we were never meant to be. I was meant to kill her or corrupt her. If not for my attempts to change, to be _good_ for her sake, I wouldn't have lost my demon half."

"Ah, but, had Belthazor not been vanquished, you couldn't have become the Source. We wouldn't be sitting here now."

He brushed a lock of dark auburn hair back from her face.

"What are your plans now?" she asked.

He lifted a shoulder and admitted he wasn't sure. "But I think they'll be coming for me soon. I sort of sent a Tracker after them."

"How devious! He could take out Leo. Or Paige. Or her father." The mere idea of the Charmed Ones being but a memory was enough to thrill her.

"Or all three. But that's not really why I sent him. I wanted to show the sisters how easily I could rid myself of them." He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. "What are you doing the rest of the afternoon?"

She chuckled, soft and low. "I'm all yours."

Cerise gasped as he lifted her off the sofa, yelped when he divested the both of them of their clothing with the licks of flames, screamed when he thrust himself into her. Being trapped between the wall and his tall, muscular body sent shockwaves of pleasure through her. The taste of his skin was intoxicating.

Every movement had him grunting and moaning. He flung her onto a glass-topped end table and thrust harder, deeper, faster until she was writhing and crying out for release beneath him. She clawed at him, leaving rivulets of blood along his skin, whimpering and begging for more. He could have dragged that moment on forever, but he, too, desired that deliciously explosive sensation. They were so close to the edge. Welts formed where he clutched her to him. He buried his face in her neck as he spilled himself within her.

No one had made him feel so truly and utterly wanted since he couldn't remember when. The way her fingers ran through his hair, the look in her eyes as she gazed up at him, the sound of his name on her lips . . .

And he knew he'd taken her past the point of ecstasy to that place where pleasure and pain meet and mingle.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I'm so glad to know people like this story!_  
><em>gabyhyatt - Thanks!<em>  
><em>Charmgazer - Yes, he most certainly is. And thank you! Don't worry; I have a plan for this little love triangle.<em>  
><em>Okay, the first half of this chapter is slightly different from the scene in Sam, I Am. I hope you enjoy it. And happy holidays!<em>  
><em>Fair warning, there might some hints of femslash in upcoming chapters.<em>

"Stand up," Phoebe commanded once she and her sisters orbed into the penthouse. She had to stay strong or they wouldn't succeed.

Cole remained seated but leaned back far enough so she could see him remove his wedding band. The photo of him with Phoebe stood on the desk next to that letter he'd decided to write to - he wasn't entirely sure why he'd written it. After everything they'd been through together, he doubted she'd even bother reading this one.

"I said stand up!" she repeated. If they were going to vanquish him, they were going to give him some measure of dignity. Let him face his death like a man.

It was time.

He rose slowly and turned to face them. "Come to vanquish me, have you?" He would've laughed if not for the gravity of the situation. Three vials of potion? Did they really think that would be enough? Had they accounted for all of the powers he'd acquired in the demonic wasteland?

"Where's your hitman?" Piper demanded ruefully.

_'So forceful, this one,'_ he mused. _'She might've made a good queen.'_ "Oh, you know those darklighters. They're just so difficult to work with. Can't even kill one lousy whitelighter, much less the three of you."

Phoebe glared at him. "But you could have."

"Bastard," Paige hissed as she threw her vial at his feet.

He merely glowered at them, taunting them wordlessly to continue on their quest for vengeance.

Piper hurled her vial at him, then looked over at her sister. 'Why is she hesitating?' "Phoebe, come on."

"I know what you're doing," she informed her ex-husband.

"Phoebe, throw the potion," Paige urged.

Phoebe ignored her sisters' pleas. "You never really wanted to kill us, did you?"

"What are you talking about?" Paige asked, confused.

"He could've killed you back at the manor; he had you alone," she reminded her younger sister. "But you needed all of us to survive for your plan to work. Including Sam."

_'Perceptive, isn't she?'_ Cerise's voice sounded in his head.

Piper had had enough of this dilly-dallying. "Phoebe, have you lost your mind?" _'Or fallen in love with him again like a -'_ She stopped herself from even thinking that; it was too ludicrous.

"No, you said it yourself. It wasn't a smart plan. Unless you didn't really want to kill us. You just wanted us to be so blinded by hate that we couldn't see what you were really up to."

_'She got that part right,'_ Cerise admitted.

_'I could let them think it worked, let them believe they've vanquished me,'_ Cole thought back to her.

_'That would be too easy for you.'_ "Yeah, well, it's the only way out for me. And you want it, too, so . . ." _'So hurry up and throw the potion so we can both move on.'_

_'I could finally close this chapter of my life.'_ "Yeah, but on _our_ terms, not yours. We won't help you commit suicide."

_'Aha, she wants you dead, but not if you're ready for it. What a contrary girl she is,'_ Cerise scoffed.

He gazed at Phoebe, almost longing for the simpler days when he was assistant district attorney and she was a bright-eyed young girl still new to her powers.

And, now, it was over. Any hope of rekindling that feeling was gone.

"You already have." Telekinetically, he jerked the third vial towards himself and set a fireball radiating from his entire body until it erupted throughout the room.

The force sent the trio of witches toppling to the floor. Shards of glass went flying everywhere, showering the floor and balcony with glittery splinters. When the Halliwells managed to get back to their feet, they all nearly screamed at the sight in front of them.

_'What a rush,'_ Cole thought.

_'Now, now,'_ Cerise chided. _'Act disappointed that you're still alive.'_

"I don't understand. That should've worked!" Paige exclaimed, horrified at their failure.

"Why didn't it?" Piper asked, already planning the next batch of potions they would brew. There had to be a way to put an end to this, once and for all.

"They knew it wouldn't work," he mumbled glumly. He needed to keep them guessing for a little while longer.

"Who knew? What're you talking about?" Phoebe wondered if he'd completely lost his mind. A part of her blamed herself for this mess; maybe if she hadn't fallen to the temptation to become Cole's queen . . . or if she hadn't helped him fake his death before that . . . A thousand ifs raced through her mind.

"You can't vanquish me. Nobody can." He turned his back on the Charmed Ones before they could see the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

* * *

><p><em>a rooftop restaurant overlooking Paris<em>

"Did it all go according to plan?"

"Even. Better." Cole clinked his wine glass against hers. "The looks on their faces when they saw I'd survived were priceless!"

"I wish I could've peeked in," Cerise sighed. "The little bit I got from you was -" She giggled briefly.

"You little minx. Do you actually expect me to believe you weren't watching the whole time?"

She pouted. "If I did, could you really blame me? Especially when you put on quite a show for them." She glanced away from him suddenly. There was a particular scent in the air that night.

"Cerise?"

She shot him a Mona Lisa-like smile. "I have a little work to do. Shouldn't take me more than a few minutes."

He nodded, then grinned as he watched her sashay past a young couple a few tables away. The young man turned from his girlfriend to watch Cerise's hips sway. Cole could almost hear a drumbeat sounding out the rhythm of her walk. Or maybe that was the ticking of the seconds before that girlfriend began screaming at her young man for ogling another woman so blatantly.

When she made her way back to him, he could swear her dress was cut just a fraction of an inch lower in the front. That slit in her long red skirt showed off her legs in a way that was far more enticing than any miniskirt might have been.

The young couple was having a hushed yet heated exchange.

"Nicely done," Cole murmured.

"Well, let's see how things progress. Or end, rather," she winked.

The young woman was livid. They could hear her calling him names even they had never heard before. He tried to apologise to her, but she just shook her head at him. When he tried to put his arms around her, she stood up and flung her drink in his face. It was clear that this had been the last straw for her.

Cole reached across the table to hold Cerise's hand. She gazed back at him with such adoration that he was almost able to let himself think this was real, that they truly were the couple in love that they were letting the world see them as.

But he reminded himself that this was just an illusion. A bit of fun they were having while he had his revenge.

"And all you had to do was walk past him."

"Please. He was prone to a wandering eye. And I am, after all, the Temptress."


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: What can I say? I'm pleased that you're enjoying this. Truth be told, I wasn't entirely sure how many chapters I'd make this story, but I'm thinking maybe thirteen,. And I never rule out the possibility of a sequel ;-)_  
><em>Kamidzu - You're right; he was already indestructible. My explanation for that bit? He figured the sight of his blood being drawn by her fingernails would turn her on more. It could have been just an illusion that he made for her, or it could be that her nails are just that strong. I'm actually not sure about that part. *shrugs* I didn't even think about it until you mentioned it :-) Thanks for pointing it out.<em>  
><em>Charmgazer - Thank you. :-) It was a question that had been rattling around in my head for a while, whether he was really so distraught and why he'd even say anything about "them" being right. Also, that whole Avatars story-arc bugged me.<em>

Phoebe wandered around the penthouse, unsure of what she was looking for. There was something she wanted . . . something . . . that should be hers.

A thud sounded from the bedroom, followed by a muffled scream. That was definitely not Cole's voice. Was someone in trouble? Had he taken to killing witches again? If he had, this was a new method. He used to simply kill them in some secluded spot, not bring them home.

Something didn't feel right.

Phoebe took a deep breath and made her way to the bedroom door, ready to attack whatever demon she encountered and defend the poor innocent Cole had imprisoned.

She flung the door open and gasped. The sight that met her eyes were certainly not one of torture. A woman's bare back was to her, as pale and luminescent as moonlight. Her hair was like chocolate seen through cherry glaze, and she wanted a taste.

She shook herself, wondering how her mind had wandered to such a thought. There, on the bed she'd once shared with him, the woman was astride Cole, and his eyes were half-closed in an expression Phoebe remembered well.

_'Damn, he looks good like that,'_ she thought before she could stop herself. The memory of the last time they'd made love - _really_ made love - came flooding back, unwanted yet tempting. It had been before the Source had invaded that void left when Belthazor had been vanquished. His touch had been gentle that night, so completely human. All his whispered words were promises she had believed he would keep. He would love her forever. He would never hurt her. He would be there to protect her. There would never be anyone else for him.

Yet here he was, with another woman, so soon after he'd been so distraught over losing Phoebe that he'd attempted suicide-by-witch. His large hands ran up and down her body, guiding her movements, spurring her to move just a little bit faster. When his eyes rolled back, Phoebe knew he was close to the edge of ecstasy. The woman cried out and leaned back briefly before impaling herself upon him once more. They were beautiful together.

Cole turned a lazy eye toward his ex-wife. "Hey, Phoebe."

"Phoebe?" the other woman murmured as she turned to look at her herself. "This is . . . Hmm."

Phoebe inched forward, intrigued by the expression on her face. She was pretty, but not the kind of woman who would have made her jealous under other circumstances or if . . . if she had any right to be. Cole was no longer hers, she reminded herself. And he had moved on already. She wondered if it had all been a ploy, part of some twisted plan to . . .

To do what, exactly? To undermine her confidence? To lure her away from her sisters? To break up the Power of Three? For plain old spite?

The woman had risen from the bed and strolled over to Phoebe. "I know this must be awkward for you. To see your husband with someone else, even though you're divorced, must be -" She shook her head softly.

Phoebe couldn't tear her eyes away from her. They were roughly the same height. That smooth skin, the curves of her body, the not-quite-humanness of her presence, and the scent of gardenias wafting from her made her want to know more about her. "Who _are_ you?"

Her shimmering cherry-red lips curved into a friendly smile. "My name is Cerise. Would you care to stay the night?"

She made her way closer to her, her full bosom rising and falling seductively, her hips swaying hypnotically with every step. She was almost close enough to press her lips -

Phoebe awoke with a gasp. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. That nude woman had practically propositioned her! _'It was just a dream. It didn't mean anything,'_ she told herself. At the back of her mind, though, she knew her dreams were never _just_ dreams. Her power of premonition gave her insight and omens while she slept.

And that woman - _Cerise_ - seemed as though she knew more about her lover's former wife than made her comfortable.

* * *

><p>"Gardenias," Cerise stated when she opened her eyes.<p>

"Gardenias?" Cole raised an eyebrow.

She sat up and turned to study his face. "Does she not like gardenias?"

"She preferred roses," he recalled.

She tilted her head. "Hmm. How cliché. I got the distinct fragrance of gardenias when I linked into her dream. Maybe the moonlight made her think of them."

"Moonlight? Nice touch." He reached a hand up to play with a loose lock of her hair.

"Thank you. She's seen me with you. In the bed you shared with her. And it gave her a twinge of jealousy."

He scoffed at that. The little witch had made it clear that she didn't want anything to do with him. She felt nothing for him. The thought of Phoebe getting _jealous_ at seeing him with someone else almost made him laugh.

"Yes. Jealous. Not that she'd admit to it. But I think all women feel that way about old flames. How long do you think I should wait before I send her another glimpse?"

He propped himself up on his elbow. "Oh, not too long. A couple of days, at least. Let her stew a bit. In the meantime -" He pulled her close for a deep, lingering kiss that she felt down to her heels.

"Oh, Cole," she whispered when he moved down to her neck. She had never met anyone like him. No one had ever left her wanting more. For once, she was happy to be the one who was seduced. When he rolled himself on top of her, her legs wrapped around his hips, enticing him to enter her again. She whimpered as he began thrusting into her. No matter how much he gave her, she feared she would never get enough.

Something made him stop and gaze at her curiously. "What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"Wrong?"

"You're crying."

She touched a finger to her cheek. Her face was wet. "That's odd. I nev- But there's never been anyone like you."

A growl sounded from deep within him. _There's never been anyone like you._ He planned to show her that there would never _be_ anyone like him again, either. His lips found places that had never before been caressed. She clung to him the way no woman had in the past, as though she were afraid this would be the last time he held her and she wanted to make it last as long as it could.


	4. Chapter 4

_*grins from reading the reviews* Thank you._

A week later, Cerise bustled about the kitchen, oddly pleased to be performing mundane domestic duties. She'd never known the joy of cooking breakfast for the man she -

She paused, momentarily befuddled by the status of her relationship with Cole Turner.

What was this? They were both demons, both part-human, capable of more than they might be if they were purely one or the other. He got to her in a way she'd never imagined possible. She'd never thought she could enjoy relinquishing control like this, to let a man have power over her.

But he was no ordinary man.

There was no one like him, she mused once more as she flipped his eggs. And, if she lived another thousand years, she'd never meet anyone else like him.

His strong arms encircled her slender waist. "Smells good," he murmured into her neck.

"The breakfast or me?" she teased.

"Both." His lips found her earlobe, making her weak.

"Mmmmmfragorrrrrrmp."

He pulled back ever so slightly. "What was that, my little cherry tart?"

Her eyes refused to focus. "We . . . have . . . things . . . to do," she whispered.

"Yes, we do," he remarked as he twirled her to face him. Her neck was too enticing to resist; he had to taste it yet again.

"Cole," she whimpered.

"Just a few minutes," he purred.

She scoffed quietly. "When has anything we've done together taken only a few minutes, sweetie?" She playfully pushed him away so she could turn to lift the carafe from the coffeemaker. "I made the hazelnut today."

He straightened his tie. "Yummy."

"After last night, I'd have thought you'd be . . . satisfied." Cerise's eyes danced. "At least for a day!"

He harumphed. "All right. I have a, uh, a ten o'clock meeting at the firm." He consulted his day planner. "And a lunch meeting at that bistro by the courthouse. Then we're meeting the realtor to look at that property."

"Good. I just have to prod a few people this morning. Such mayhem to be wreaked with all the tourists in this town." She grinned up at her lover. "Imagine what we could do if we recruited a few minions?"

"Cerise," he warned. "We've talked about this."

She bowed her head. "I know. It's a big responsibility. Where would we keep them? Once we get one, we'd wind up with hundreds. How would we take care of all of them?" she repeated the things he'd told her when she'd first brought the subject up. "It was just a thought. Besides, I can sow the seeds of discord easily enough. Prompting a few mortals to demand ever so slightly more than what they already possess leads to a spark of resentment, and it cascades through those around them."

"But you want to do more. Well, maybe there's a way . . . We can talk about it later."

"Yes, of course. Let's have a pleasant breakfast now."


End file.
